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Life

A Time to Rest, in The Lord… (Will Return March 2018)

Hello Beautiful souls,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Yes, you read correctly, we will be taking a short break (not too long), just about a month, and will return in March 2018 refreshed, and with new content.

It’s a little unexpected but with the new year here, I’m being led to a time of resting in the Lord. To reset and refresh my mind, body, and spirit personally. To refine and renew the blog and brand.

If I can be completely honest, there is a lot happening at once in my life and I just want to make sure that I am fully in sync with God, so that I am bringing my all with excellence. Not only will I be taking a break from blogging, but also from social media as a whole. Unplugging from the social world is healthy in a daily renewal of the mind. With all that is going on in today’s world, we have to make sure that we are clearly hearing from God.

There are moments in our lives when God will require us to surrender absolutely everything to Him so that we can sit before Him, allowing Him to personally minister to us without any added noise. One cannot pour out if they have nothing to give; not saying I have nothing to give, but rather I know that this is a season and time when I need to be poured into by God and His Word.

With a lot going on, including physically (My health has been out of whack for a few months), I know I need to lay down every weight, distraction, picked up mindset, task, plan, idea, and seek The Face of The Lord.

Sometimes God asks things of us that doesn’t make sense right now, but will eventually as time pass.

So, I wanted to just make a notice, just in case you look up and realize I haven’t posted in a while (lol). I’m only taking a quick break from blogging, AND social media on my personal and blog page.

During this time I will be soaking up on prayer, fasting, worship, studying, reading, and really nurturing my relationship with Jesus.

None of this matters if Jesus isn’t the forefront.

It can get to that point where you get caught up in a routine lifestyle and along with work, church can become another thing to do. Or you begin to take your calling/purpose/assignment lightly because you’ve been doing it for so long. Or you start comparing and contrasting yourself to others and forgetting that you are unique because God called you! When it gets to that point, it’s good to take time to do a self-evaluation. Me personally, I want to make sure that all that I do and say not only is what I’m living behind closed doors, but also in agreement with The Word of God and not MY own wisdom.

When I return, I want to come back with a new set of spiritual eyes, pure motivation, and a new understanding of scripture; making sure I apply it accurately with my writings. There are so many ideas and assignments on my plate that I need to take to The Lord and prioritize.

I share all this to say that you don’t have to pretend to be perfect like you have everything together. If you need to take a mental, spiritual, physical break from something, pray and do it as The Lord leads you. Life requires a lot from us with work, school, businesses, families, marriages, ministry; it’s always important to check in with God to make sure we are still in His Will.

So, I shall return in March, with awesome news, new posts, testimonies, and great things that will be all worth the wait!

Honestly, I can’t wait, but I know I will have to and be obedient to simply TAKE A BREAK and rest in The Lord. 🙂

See you then.
Love you always

What have you been sowing into?

 

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” Galatians 6:7

You will reap that which you have sown. That goes for relationships, job, ministry, life in general. So my question is, what exactly have you been sowing?
2018 is coming up and we all love to repost prophetic encouragement, claiming and naming all blessings we desire, which is good and all, but we have to really ask ourselves throughout 2017, were we preparing ourselves?

It goes back to my initial question, what have you been sowing and what have you been sowing into? You can’t be praying for your desires to come to pass, when there hasn’t been any effort on your part to bring it to pass. Yes, we trust and believe in The Lord and without Him there is nothing we can do; however faith without works is still dead.

You may be waiting to become an entrepreneur and get out of that 9-5 lifestyle, well have you been working on a business plan, researching and filling yourself on knowledge on how to go about starting a business or are you just waiting for God to open that door? You may want to turn your side talent into a fulltime passion, well have you been perfecting your craft or are you just waiting for God to bring a harvest your way? Are you waiting for a marriage? Have you let go of all the ones you know are not for you? Have you closed up shop (your body) and turned to The Lord to help you with any lust, fornication, loneliness, idolatry and other weights that you’ve been holding onto? Or are you just waiting for a spouse with mess still in your heart and once you get married that will heal everything? I can go on and on, but one thing remains, we will not reap what we have not sown.

I’ve witnessed it many times in my life, thinking that if I pray and pray and hope all day long, God will open doors, bring a man my way, and bless me with my many desires.
All the while I’m waiting but I wasn’t really putting in any work or investing in myself to become better in my talents or working on my ideas, I was just waiting. Then when harvest time came, I was upset because what I found was what I put in, nothing but hopes and dreams. It was then when I found the bible to be very true that God cannot be mocked or deceived.

He knows what we have been doing, and He knows what’s in our hearts.

We must go to Him to deliver us and renew our minds so we can lean to His understanding and not our own. It is then, that we will realize that we have to give God something to work with.

If we are just waiting for the right time to sow into our future, we will never take any action towards what we really want. It the times when you step out on faith and hope that what you are sowing into, with the leading of God’s truth and will, will be worth it even if it doesn’t make sense in the human mind, it’s those times that you get divine results; because you have faith.

So let’s stop procrastinating and sowing fear, doubt, low confidence, laziness, false hope and expecting to reap success and divine opportunities. The time is now to start investing in your future by trusting in The Lord and stepping out on faith and doing something new. With the new year right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to do an evaluation and allowing God to show us our true selves. Let’s prepare for the next reaping season.

The ones who endure through the fire, shall come out as pure gold! 

Your life can change in the blink of an eye. One day you have it all, and the next that you have absolutely no idea what’s next. In a life full of changing it’s so peaceful to know that we have an unchanging God. What’s crazy is that nothing takes God by surprise, He knows all things. With that being said, a lot of people question and wonder, well if that’s the case, then why does He allow us to go through the toughest situations. Why doesn’t He save us from it immediately, or detour us away from such situations?

Well, I am not going to act like I have all the answers, but I will say that we will not understand why God does things, why He allows things to happen. We WILL come the knowledge of some things afterwards because we will notice a change in ourselves. We will notice a new perspective, a changed heart, a TESTIMONY that will encourage others.

Today, I want you to know that whatever it is that you are going through, it will not last. It will pass and when it does, who will you give the glory to?

There are some things we go through that’s only used to point us into the direction of the Father.

He wants us to be His, through the storms and all. I’ve come to the realization of just how important it is to give God the praise, glory, and honor through all circumstances, especially tough ones.

“…when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” Job 23:10 KJV

It’s the ones who endure through the fire, that come out as pure gold. It’s the ones who remember to trust in God, even when it doesn’t make sense to, that get to see the promise of God’s Word come to life pertaining to those who persevere.

You will overcome it. You will come out with new strength. You will see just how strong God has made you. You just have to trust that God will not leave you nor forsake you right now. He is watching you, to see how you will handle your obstacle. But will you trust Him?

If I can be honest for a moment about my own life, I am learning just what it means to truly trust God through the storms. Yes you can speak that you will trust God for things that are easily obtainable, but what about when you cannot see what’s next.

In this season in my life, it is tough, hard, uncomfortable, and trying might I add. There were moments when I became angry with God, because I felt like with my portion of life right now, I don’t deserve it. But who am I?

Who am I to tell God what I do and don’t deserve? God sent His only son to die for my sins when I did not deserve it. He pulled me back in time and time again after my mess ups, when I didn’t deserve it. He has opened doors and poured out wisdom, blessed me with gifts and a purpose that I did not deserve to have, yet I yelled and fussed at God about the obstacle I have to deal with right now; like I have the right to do so. No one is exempt from anything on while living on this earth. What you think can’t and won’t happen to you, can happen. It’s in those moments when we have to stand on the Word of God and remember to look up to hills from which our help comes from.

Although, the fire may seem like it’s growing, and never-ending, I want to encourage you that God is with you even in the middle of the storm, and one thing is for sure; He will not let you come out on the other end defeated, but victorious! Trust Him. Trust Him past your understanding.

Trusting Him means, staying positive, hoping for the best, not playing the victim. It means, digging into the bible, pulling out scriptures and believing His Word. It means, letting go of control, actually putting it in God’s hands, and leaning your ears and heart to what He says. Trusting God means to move by faith and NOT by sight, your bank account, others opinions, and sinful temptations.

Trusting God through the fire and storm means surrounding yourself with hope. Again, God will not let you stay down, you shall not be defeated but you shall overcome with a beautiful testimony.

Remember, the ones who endure through the fire, shall come out as pure gold!

When Life Gets Real

 

Hey there Beautiful Souls, I know it’s been quite some time since I’ve posted, but I’m back and I am ready to share all that The Lord has been pouring into me. I took an unplanned break and at first, it was just me putting off posting because of how busy my schedule became in the blink of an eye. Then eventually I realized that my passion was being tested, along with my faith and identity. It awes me how God uses situations and things to get our attention, because I had to really pray and allow God to ignite the fire and reaffirm my identity in Him.

Before I get into it, I just want to say to those who have been waiting for new material, I truly apologize, unwanted circumstances come and time waits for not one single person. I know one thing that God wants me to be with my writings, is real! Transparent, but not in a sense that I spill my entire life and business, more so, not pretending that everything is perfect and always okay, because honestly, it’s not (lol). Sad to say but because we are still in the flesh, -well let me speak for myself-  because I am still in the flesh, I deal with things the normal person deals with and sometimes how I react may not always be the best, but thank God for His grace and mercy right?!?

So, these last couple months have been interesting to say the least. I have been on an uphill, been pushed downhill. It has been beautiful and ugly, overwhelming and calming. A journey is what it feels like I’ve been on, and I am still on it.

During this journey process there has been a discovery of my true identity. The uttermost hidden areas have been  resurfacing, so that I can truly be free. I mean, there were parts of me I thought were dead and gone, delivered and freed, healed and transformed, but randomly crept back up. It’s as if I’m on this long desert road and at the end I can see this mountain that I must climb in order to elevate closer to God.

However, as I’m traveling on this road attacks pop up, temptations rise; from memories that I’m tempted to dwell on, thoughts I’m fighting not to entertain.

I realized that in order to persevere, I must go back to the basics.

I thank God, I thank Him for His mercy, His grace, and His patience with me. Though there were times I wanted to give up, because I felt like I was not qualified anymore. It was like everything I had ever wrote about, preached about, talked about and encouraged others with was thrown at me full force.

From relationships, to friendships, to my job, to my blog, even down to my relationship with God. I wasn’t depressed, I wasn’t backsliding, I wasn’t blatantly sinning; I wasn’t running to the world, I was just simply under attack. I became weary from the responsibilities and burdens on my shoulders. I started to underestimate my calling and God’s love for me. I started asking God what was wrong with me? Why did I feel the way I felt?

Sometimes we put more on ourselves than God intended. Sometimes we take on tasks and assignments that God never gave to us. Sometimes we try to look the part when in actuality, our hearts are elsewhere. Sometimes we run ahead of God and bring unnecessary stress which then can resort to weariness.

Discipline… was the word that was in my spirit. I needed to discipline myself and learn to say no. I had to learn to prioritize my daily tasks. I had to learn to take a step back and observe what was really go around me. God never wants us to be stressed, to be weary, to feel like there is more on our plate than we can handle. I had to learn from Jesus. I had to go to Him and be real with how I was feeling. I had to give Him my burdens and take His yoke and light burden. I knew I had to go back to the basics. Pray, fast, read, repeat.

Remember… I had to remember who I was and whose I was. A child of God, whose sins have been forgiven, someone God seen worthy to bless with the precious gift of the Holy Ghost, and someone God trusted to share His Word through a distinctive gift. The perfect target for satan. I had to encourage myself up with God’s Word and remember that with being saved comes a fight. A fight for a peace of mind, and a daily death of my flesh. It’s not easy, but the sufferings of this present time are NOT worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Romans 8:18). Thank God for His Word.

Slow down… I had to slow down and be still in The Lord. I had to let God continue to do the work that He started in me. I had to let God continue to do the healing and sanctifying in me, that He started. I was trying to perfect my life and my walk in my own strength. Every time I would come up short in my eyes, I would feel inadequate and unqualified for God. Then I remembered that it is by grace through faith that I am saved, not what I do, how many ministries I am a part of, not how much I go to church… but through grace alone. I had to learn that God’s perfection and my perfection were different. As I began to slow down and allow The Lord to show me my truth, I was able to humble myself and repent for intentions and reasonings that were behind some of what I was doing.

I share this with you, to say that when life gets real, when your circumstances overwhelm you, when you lose sight of the unique path God has set before you, don’t give up! It will not be easy, I would be lying if I said it was, but it will be worth it to keep the hope. When we surrender our lives to God, we are also surrendering how we deal with life when it hits hard. Run to God and not this world, be real and personal with God in prayer, and let Him bring you out stronger and even more determined to live for Him whether life is going good or sour. When life gets real, it’s the perfect opportunity for your faith to grow stronger.

“In All Things, Be Ye Ready”…

 

Be ready, in season and out of season…

One thing The Lord has taught me so far this year is that “in all things, be ye ready“. In my personal life, there is a lot of divinely and timely things going. I don’t fully know what God is doing behind the scenes but I still trust Him. I have decided that every day I will wake up with a “Yes Lord“, even when I don’t feel like it because my purpose is bigger than me. There are times when I ask God, “why me, why couldn’t I have just had a simple calling that didn’t require much”. His reply, “my grace is sufficient“. Like, I’m pretty sure God knows my flaws and weaknesses, yet He calls me to do the exact things I feel is way out of my comfort zone. Again, His reply, “my grace is sufficient, I will perfect that which I have started in you, and it will all be for My Glory“.

I thank God for His Word, and I thank God for His patience. You see, though my flesh may be weak, my soul is willing to say “Yes Lord”. Though my flesh wants to shy away, run and hide to what it know as to be a comfort zone, the Holy Spirit is willing to equip me to do all that The Lord has called me to do. I may not feel qualified or have all the answers, but I serve a God that will lead the way.

So I press forth and walk in faith, knowing that through Christ all things are possible and that strengthens me to get ready and get in alignment with The Lord’s Will for my life.

I say all that to share what The Spirit of The Lord has placed on my heart, and that is to, “be ye ready“.

Be ready to be called, to be given an assignment, to receive a long awaited promise, to step into a new territory. Just be ready!

God is about to open new doors quickly and what you went through last season and the season before that, even the season before that one, was to get you prepared and ready for right now. We know that all things work together for the good of them who love The Lord and are called according to His purpose. We also know that we will reap that which we have sown. Those two scriptures go for the two different kinds of people that will be affected by this Word from the Lord: either you will be ready or you will feel overwhelmed and unprepared. Either way, the doors are opening.

God is doing His part, are you doing yours?

“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 KJV

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6:7 KJV 

God isn’t concerned about how we feel, or what we lack. No, He is concerned about our obedience and our faith. Will we trust God, even when can’t see what’s on the other side of our obedience? Will we trust God to be with us when we are scared walking in the unknown , outside our comfort zones. Will we allow the Holy Spirit to be our encourager? Or will be continue to allow our flesh to hinder us for what God has in store for us? Will we wait for every time we are ready, in order to act on something God is telling us to? We have to be prepared. We have to be ready.

There are people attached to our obedience. There are divine connections waiting to align together, but it is in your obedience. God doesn’t want your perfection. He just wants your yes, and He will take care of the rest; that includes finishing what He started in you.

If God has been pressing you to do something, but you keep putting it off, repent for disobedience and decide today that you will do that which is required of thee. See God doesn’t tell us to do certain things for fun, it all plays a role in the big picture. So take heed to the instructions from The Lord, and in all things, be ready!

 

 

Press forth because God is intentional!

ballet-31 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 KJV

I was listening to Travis Greene’s song “He’s intentional”, and it ministered to me in a new way this morning. Now I’ve heard that song like a million times but today it settled in my spirit, just how intentional God is.

This year started off with a twist then turned rocky, and as much as I thought I knew it all, I didn’t. As ready as I thought I was for certain things I involved myself into, I wasn’t. Nothing catches God by surprise, He knew every obstacle and mistake that I would make. Only God knows what I would’ve entangled myself more, into had He not put a halt to my plans.

Today, I thank God for the closed doors, they gave me motivation to work harder with godly wisdom towards the right doors. I thank God for hardening the hearts of men towards me, they pushed me closer to a King who I know will NEVER leave me nor forsake me. I thank God for allowing me to go through it all, because it redirected my steps and desires back to Him. He has and is still working everything out that I’ve been through, the good and bad, for my good. His Word does not lie!

It’s amazing to see how much God has matured me in these last few months. I have learned a lot about myself. My desires have transformed. My perspective has changed, and I completely just want to be in God’s will.

I can truly say I overcame the sin of turning desires that were in my heart into idols. I can truly say I feel free from past mistakes. It’s still a daily process, but each day I feel a change in myself. I thank God because He used what the devil thought would take me out, to bring me out of myself and closer to Him.

I shared all that to say, whatever you’re going through, whether it is a heartbreak, job loss, depression, hardships, remember that God is intentional, and He’s never-failing, so don’t lose trust in Him. He will turn it around. He will heal your broken heart. He will provide for your every need. He will loosen the grip of the enemy’s hands off your life. You just have to be a warrior! You have to keep pressing forth! Let your faith increase by overlooking your “now”, and looking to the creator of your future. I know it’s easier said than done but I wouldn’t share this if I didn’t believe it.

It took me a while to truly understand that God has a plan, and I must trust Him. You must trust Him. I don’t have to worry about how the plan will manifest, I just have to remain obedient and have a repenting heart when I do make mistakes.

When life gets tough, don’t stay down. Dust yourself off and get back in the race. I would’ve never thought I would be here, at this point, this quickly. I feel free and whole, with clarity, and it’s because I never gave up on God. As many times as I wanted to throw in the towel, I kept moving forward. I gave my heart to men, and they let me down, but I kept moving forward. I had no idea how I was going to pay bills, but I kept moving forward. I felt like I what I was doing, going to church, trying to live right, was for nothing, but I didn’t stop, I kept moving forward. Sometimes I feel alone in this walk, but I still move forward, because I know God will use my perseverance for His glory.

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14 KJV

Pressing forth and looking ahead will allow you to reap the benefits of letting Him heal, restore, and transform you. So, trust Him through your situations. Don’t look at the closed doors as the end. Don’t look at someone leaving you as the value of your worth. God will restore what the devil stole, and most of what the enemy stole, belonged to him and wasn’t meant for you anyway.

God is intentional with every step of your life. Place it back in His hands and keep moving forward, as He works it all out for your good.

Jesus loves you!

 

 

Are your plans God approved?

 

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“Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.”  Psalm 143:8 KJV

This November I will be 27, (almost 30 yikes!) and looking back on my life I am so thankful for what God has done in my life in such a short time frame. Sometimes I sit and think about the life I had planned out for myself, marriage by 23, at least my first child by 25, a few businesses under my belt, living in a nice suburban area. Oh, and did I mention my credit score was supposed to be in the high 700’s (lol). As you can see I had my whole life figured out, but if you notice not once did I mention anything about God, ministry, church, spiritual growth or anything along that nature. That’s because I was creating a life outside of God (well minus the credit score, I still want that high 700). It’s funny because I tried to make all the things I desired happen on my time, how I wanted it, and with whom I wanted it with. Obviously God had other plans.

“There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.” Proverbs 29:19 KJV

I now realize that most of the plans I created were NOT a part of God’s plan, some business ideas I tried taking on, were not God approved which is why it didn’t work out. Men I was involved with, were not God approved. Basically I was outside of the Will of God and that created so much pain and setbacks.

As I began to allow God to minister to me and change my life for the better, I started desiring more of what God wanted. I understood that if I wanted to be happy and succeed in life, I must have God approve every plan and idea. Sadly, the gifts, talents, and desires that I had were being used for the world and selfish gain, and God knew my heart behind them.

“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” James 4:3 KJV

God had a lot of purging to do, and a lot of transformation had to take place to get me here; a place of surrender, no control, and genuinely wanting His will to be done in my life. I don’t have it all together, it is a daily dying to flesh and choosing whom I will serve. I realized that back then when I was planning my life, I was planning a life for earthly pleasure, self-glorification, lustful motives.

God knew I wasn’t ready for marriage at the age of 23 because my heart was dirty and full of filth. I was not the Christian woman I am today. I was still seeking a man to fill a void only God can. Then I didn’t understand submission, I just wanted to say I had man. He knew the main motive behind my marriage desire was freedom of sex (Sorry but I am being honest). Now, my perspective on marriage has changed drastically. I now realize that marriage first starts with Christ, He is my ultimate husband. My main focus should be being a perfect bride for Him. I see marriage as a ministry. I see marriage as a way to serve and submit to a godly man who submits to God and loves me like Christ loves the church. It’s not about sex, though that is included to pleasure and creating children, it is about glorifying God with a union that seeks to work together for God’s Kingdom.

The business ideas I had, they were only about money. There was no real passion behind them. God knew my heart, so He made sure the doors of opportunity wouldn’t come my way. Now, the ideas that I have, were laid on my heart by God Himself. How do I know? I know because there is peace accompanying the ideas. There are multiple resources to accomplish the tasks, and people have come to me about them. What was just a hobby, and playing around with time, has now become a desire to put effort into. The passions I had, writing, singing, mainly writing, was being used for the world, and I actually had blogs before this one, but I closed them because God led me to. I traded in my passion for glorifying the world, to glorifying God with my gifts. Was it hard to do it, honestly in the beginning it was, but I knew what had to be done in order to live the life God created for me.

You’re probably wondering why am I sharing this with you today, well It is because I know there are a lot of you who are in the shoes I once was in. Planning your life away without really consulting God first. Maybe you’re hastily making decisions because you’re creeping up in age and feel that nothing has went as planned. I want to encourage you to examine your plans and ask yourself, are your plans God approved. Sounds cliché but I promise you, it will save you a lot of time, setback, headaches, and heartaches, if you seek God’s Will instead of your own.

So now I am 26, and the one thing I can proudly say I have accomplished is giving my life totally to Jesus. I may not have what I thought I would at this age, but I have faith and I have works. I believe that as I am seeking God’s Kingdom, all that I needed will be added to my life. I rest on God’s promises,and patiently waiting on Him to open the right doors. I am allowing God to develop me into the woman He has created me to be. I am allowing God to remove everything that is not like Him out of my life. I am allowing God to continue preparing me for not only marriage here on earth, but for my ultimate Husband, Jesus Christ for His return. I’m working on ideas that have been inspired by God and getting more into ministry. On top of it all, I am just working on being a better me than I was yesterday.

See it’s all process to prepare me for the next season, and then that season will prepare me for the next. We won’t ever be where we want to be until we are with Jesus Christ. So your time is not running out, it’s okay to slow down. Life is not over because you’re not married yet. You’re not a failure because your ideas didn’t work out. Maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t a part of God’s plan for your life. Maybe He wants to stir you into a new direction, or maybe the timing was just off. Either way, trust God and submit your plans to Him because He knows what’s best.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11 KJV

 

Dealing with temptation?

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 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”  1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV

God will not put more on you than you can bear. There is no temptation that can overcome you, that God has not made a way out, for an escape. Sometimes we think that God is being unfair and allowing us to be in the same situation after praying to be relieved from it. Someone reading this needs to know that God has not forgotten about you. Your prayers are not going up in vain. You are not being looked over. In fact, God is working on your behalf, He has been, from the very beginning. One thing I had to learn was that God will often times change us before He changes our circumstances. No, let me rephrase that, God WANTS to change us before changing our circumstances. As I am typing I am getting a word in my spirit about temptation and how it comes in all forms. For me personally, my desire for marriage used to rule me and my decisions, but thank God for deliverance and on time messages, from preachers and teachers to help me realize that I must trust God and not my desires. We must trust God and not our flesh. We must trust God’s Word and not settle for what entices our flesh.

There is no temptation that can overcome you, that God has not made a way out, for an escape.
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Every day temptation knocks on our doors. As long as we are in the flesh, we will be tempted by something because let’s face it, our flesh is weak. The form of temptation varies for different individuals. Maybe for you, there’s a temptation in

  • Picking up a doughnut that looks so good, but you just asked the Lord to help you with your weight goal.
  • Entertaining your imaginations that are leading you away from Christ and to anxiety lane, worrisome boulevard, or lustful street. (Maybe I’m the only one with that struggle.)
  • Listening to that new Beyonce album, when you know all she sings about is everything that will hinder your walk with Christ. (Okay, that one was for me too lol.)
  • Checking up on your ex, when you know God told you to look forward and forget the former things. (Okay I’m just putting myself all the way out there lol.)
  • Pursuing someone because God is taking too long in bringing your man, when you know that He who findeth a wife findeth a good thing.
  • Calling into work with a lie because you’re just too lazy and tired to get up out of bed. (I can’t be the only one who’s thought of doing that.)
  • Missing Sunday service because you just don’t feel like going.

Whatever the your case is, temptation is all around, and if anyone says it’s not they are lying to you.

We must trust God’s Word and not settle for what entices our flesh.
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That’s why in Matthew 26:41, The Word says to “watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation, because the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak“.

The spirit is willing to be strong and trust in God’s timing but the flesh wants its desires to be given right now. The spirit is willing to get up out of bed and go to work or church even though the flesh wants to soak in its feelings and stay in bed. The spirit is willing to cast its cares upon the Lord, including the anxiety, worries, concerns and believe that God has it all under control. Truth is, our flesh is too weak and wants to entertain the scenarios and imaginations of the mind that’s not from God.That’s why we are told repeatedly to crucify our flesh, deny our flesh, not to walk in the flesh, and not to give into our fleshly desires.

“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16

It’s difficult to walk in the spirit if we are filled with flesh. We have to do our part by fasting, consecrating ourselves, and making ourselves available to God’s spirit to help because we cannot do it on our own. I repeat, we cannot do it on our own. Our flesh wants to do what it wants. It wants to play around with temptation. It wants to see how far can we hang out with temptation before we actually fall into it and become controlled by our desires. However, today I have come to let you know that God has made a way out and expects us to take the escape route.

What’s the escape route? Well for starters you must read your Word and know what is from God and what is not from God. Know what’s coming from your flesh and what’s from the spirit. You will also know the tricks of the enemy and be alert and watchful. You will know when you are being led by your flesh and when you are being led by the spirit. Then you must have a prayer life, so you are connected to God and can hear Him speak to you, warn you, then guide you to the right path. By reading your Word, and staying in tuned to Him, you are able to see God and follow Him an able to resist the devil.

“And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” Galatians 5:24

So today I encourage you to choose the way out. I encourage you to crucify your flesh and all its lustful desires.and start walking in the spirit intentionally. Don’t allow your desires to overcome you and lead you into temptation.

Searching our hearts… (Part 1)

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When you ask God to search your heart, be prepared to get wrecked! When we asked to have our hearts searched, we are seeking The Lord to cleanse us and remove from us that which has been holding us back from being closer to Him and more like Him. When you ask, be prepared to find out things about yourself that you either were trying to deny or was plain ol’ oblivious to. These last couple of months God has shown me myself and let me tell you, it’s no fun; well minus the hidden spiritual gifts I’ve learned that He’s placed inside of me. I decided to share a few things God is teaching and showing me that not only myself but we as believers must let go of in order to truly live free and for God.

Letting go of your “idea of something”.

One thing that I want to touch on first is letting go of the “idea of something”. Meaning letting go of your idea of how something is supposed to happen, how your plans will turn out, how things will be, how you will get married, how you will walk into your blessing. I have struggled and apparently still do, struggle with letting go of my idea on how things will play out in my life. If I want to stress myself out or ride an emotional roller coaster, then having this particular expectation about something will surely do it.

Today as I was spending time with God, I realized that a lot of my emotional distress, disappointments, and stumbling blocks come from when something isn’t going how I expect or when something else happens other than what I imagined. You see where I’m getting at; I cause myself to have enlarged troubles because I’m trying to lead my own life instead of letting God put the pieces together in my life. When I surrendered my life over to God, that included my plans, visions, desires, and “ideas of things”. When I pick them back up, I’m picking back up the heavy burden I gave to God in exchange for His peace and His Will (Psalm 55:22). You are giving away God’s peace within you when you try to take control over your life by creating this ideal life for yourself and how things play out. Which leads me to another thing to let go of.

Letting go of control and having everything figured out!

Now this is something that takes time to master but with the grace of God and the Holy Spirit, it can be done. Well how, you may ask, I’ll say by simply taking life ONE DAY AT A TIME! Yes, it’s that simple yet hard when if you’re like me, like to have your life planned out. However, if you look to the Word of God, it states that there are many plans in a man’s heart, but it’s the Lord’s purpose that will come to pass (Proverbs 19:21). So that means that if what you are planning is not in God’s will, it may not happen unless you step out and live according to your own will. (Which correlates to the first one “Letting go of expectations”). Now don’t get me wrong, it’s important to plan and have goals, but you have to make sure that on this very day, you are in God’s peace and His Will. If you remain in Him, He will establish your plans, but again, according to His Will (Proverbs 16:3). So you have to be okay with praying and submitting your desires and plans to God, then taking your hands completely off your life and watching Him work.

Today God reminded me that He has already predestined everything to happen in my life and what is in His will for me will come to pass; the promises, the ministry, the career, the husband, the family, the blessings (natural and spiritual), they will all come at its appointed time. HOWEVER, what I do on this very day, determines what happens next. If I fall into temptation and become disobedient, I will delay the blessings, I may even mess up a blessing if I am not mature enough for it.

So in this very moment, God wants you to live in this day, in this moment, surrendered and submitting to His will and living a life right now pleasing in His sight. Don’t worry about tomorrow because tomorrow already has enough going on. The Lord can come back anytime and you want to make sure you are always prepared and not stressing over temporary things. Don’t get so focused on planning ahead and trying to control how your life plays out that you miss out on the blessings and lessons of today. Which brings me to another thing to let go of.

Letting go of people pleasing.

When you stop worrying about what others think about you, what others have to say, their opinion on your life, you will be free from people bondage. People bondage is no joke and very real, and it hold a lot of us back from fully living the life God has destined for us. People will always have something to say, good and bad, but it is up to you to determine if you will let them lead your life or God. One area I strongly had a people bondage problem in, was my church life. I didn’t grow up in the church, so I had no idea about different denominations and church doctrines, I just thought you pick a church and go to it. Thank God for His wisdom, His Spirit, and maturity because it was only a year or two ago when I was a lost sheep being swayed back and forth between different churches because I was relying on man’s opinion to lead me and guide me, instead of God. My church story is a book in itself, which I’ll share one day, but long story short, I decided to do what God wanted me to do and ever since then I’ve been free. God gave me instructions but He had to let me decide for myself if I was going to continue to please men or Him (Galatians 1:10). God wants you to decide if you are going to continue to please men or Him? Are you going to allow your parents, friends, church family, people in general to lead you and pour their plans for your life in you? Or will you trust God and obey His personal commands and calling in your life even when others are against you?

These a few I was led to share and I will share more as The Lord leads because there were a lot, but I didn’t want an extremely long post.

When we let go of certain habits and mindsets, we will obtain God’s goodness and His best for our lives. Whoever wants to control his life, save his life, and create his own way will lose out and lose his life. Whoever lets go, surrender, give up his ways and his mindset, will gain life, a new life.

“Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.”
Luke 17:33 NKJV

Give God your YES

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You were made for a much bigger purpose than where you are now in life. God has greater opportunities ahead of you, if only you would believe. If only you knew what was on the other side of your obedience. If only you knew how far you can go with a little more faith, and a little less fear; with a little more commitment in surrendering your life to Jesus and accepting the life God has for you and a little less trying to control and hold on to what is dead.

“He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” Matthew 10:39 NKJV

Jesus came down from Heaven, so that you can have the life God predestined for you to have! Don’t you know God loves you! So why are you going around doubting yourself and your purpose?

Maybe you feel you must have it all together first. Well I am here to tell you, you don’t have to have it all together for God to use you. God used plenty of messed up people, but He seen them fit for the purpose and assignment at hand. Those  individuals were willing to be obedient. Just as He called them in the middle of their mess, God is calling you in the middle of your chaotic life, to simply say “yes” to His will and His way. He is looking for a “yes”, to the assignment He has chosen you for. You have to be willing and able to be obedient. Even to the point where God says to be patient. Be patient for that job, opportunity, relationship, house, car, business move, friendship, and spiritual blessings.

You ALSO have to be willing to follow up that “yes”, with action. Faith without works to back it up is dead.

You have to move when God instructs and leads you to. There is something on the other side of your obedience.

Maybe He is leading you to start that business, have faith and move with your ministry, work on your relationships, forgive so and so, fast, pray, study the Word, serve, give, whatever the case may be. You have to obey, when He says, not on your timing. Delayed obedience is disobedience.

Obey God’s instructions. You have no idea what lies on the other side of your obedience. God is calling you higher, and that will require much out of you, but it will be worth.

“For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” Luke 12:48 NKJV

God will not require you to sacrifice something for nothing. Whether that be you time, desire, comfort zone, etc. God would not be hard on you if He didn’t see you fit for such a time as this. There is a process to getting to where God has predestined for you to go. So you may have to give up some things, mindsets, old ways, negative people, opportunities that seem right to you, time, disbelief, control, etc. In order to get to get there you have to give God a “yes“, to what He is asking of you.

Trust God and have a little more faith in Him and His will.

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